In a blind test, the AP gave temperature data to four independent statisticians and asked them to look for trends, without telling them what the numbers represented. The experts found no true temperature declines over time.

"If you look at the data and sort of cherry-pick a micro-trend within a bigger trend, that technique is particularly suspect," said John Grego, a professor of statistics at the University of South Carolina.

China drywall 'made homes unsafe': Homeowners have reported health problems and damage to wiring; The US and China have agreed to investigate reports that a widely used Chinese-made building material has made people in the US ill and damaged homes. (BBC)